Home and away! The tense system • Informal language • Compound words • Casual conversations

TEST YOUR GRAMMAR

Which time expressions from the

box can be used with the sentences

below? Make sure the sentences

sound natural.

when I was born never for ages

tonight frequently in the 1980s

ages ago the other day

in a fortnight's time recently

during a snowstorm for a year

since 1972 later sometimes

My parents met in Paris.

2 They travel abroad.

3 They were working in Canada.

4 I was born in Montreal.

5 My grandparents have lived in Ireland.

6 I wrote to my grandmother.

7 My brother's flying to Brazil on business.

8 He's been learning Portuguese.

9 I'll see you.

2 Talk to a partner about yourself and your

family using some of the time expressions.

My pare"t ... et at a party thirty year. ago.

Tell the class some things about each other.

AWAY FROM HOME Tense review and informal language

1 m. Listen and read 'Tyler's Tweets:

Is the style formal or informal?

Where is Tyler from? What does

he find strange in London?

TiYLER'S lWEETS Tuesday, September 4, 1:42 p.m.

Still sitting in the airport in NYC. Been waiting three hours but seems

like FOREVER!

Tuesday. September 4,3:20 p.m

Just boarded the plane for London. My first trip abroad except for a week in Mexico last year. I'm

going to stay with my buddy Dave for a few days in north London before I meet my host family. Dave lives in a place called 'Chalk Farm'. I don't get it - a farm in London?

Thursday, September 6.4:35 p,m.

It's fun here but kind of weird. Dave doesn't live on a farm. His folks have a large apartment in a big old house. They call it a 'flat'. I asked

for the 'bathroom' - they thought I wanted a bath. I'm learning fast.

Friday. September 7 10:30 am.

Dave and I are hanging out together today. We're on a bus! Upstairsi OMG! Just drove past Buckingham Palace. But they drive on the

WRONG side ofthe road here. Crazy! Also, people say 'cheers' all the time. Isn't that for making toasts? A guy just said it to me because I'd let him pass.

Saturday, September 8 7:19 pm.

First night with my host family, the Wilsons. They seem very nice, but their house is a million·mile walk to the subway! (They cal l it the 'Tube' here!)

Saturday, September 8, 11 :10 p.m.

Big day tomorrow. We're visiting Shakespeare's hometown. He wrote

plays and stuff hundreds of years ago. He's mega famous.

2 Complete the questions and answers. Then ask and answer them with a partner.

1 'Where JL Tyler spending the year? ' 'In London:

2 'Is this his first trip abroad?'

'No, it . He abroad once before.

Last year he to Mexico:

3 'Where Dave ?'

' In north London:

4 'How long Tyler to stay with Dave?' 'A few days:

5 'Why the guy say 'cheers' to Tyler?'

'Because he him pass:

6 he like his host family?'

'Yes, he _____ . He _ ____ they're very nice:

7 'What they on Sunday"

'They _ ___ Shakespeare's hometown:

3 om Listen and check your answers.

4 Read Teresa's emai!. Where is she? Is she working or on holiday? What are some of her li kes and dislikes about the place?

5 Form the questions. Ask and answer them with a partner.

1 How long/Teresa/Africa' 5 What/take home? 2 What time/start work? 6 How many/collect already? 3 What/just buy? 7 What/do at the beach? 4 Where/last Sunday? 8 What/sending to her parents?

DD Listen and check your answers.

From: Teresa Savers <teri .says@yoohoo.com> To: "mum n dad" <m.b.sayers@chatchat .ne t> Subject: Hotter and hotter in Tanga!

Hi Mum! Hi Dad!

Thanks for yours - always love news from home. Since

LANGUAGE FOCUS

1 Name the tenses used in exercises 2 and 5. Why are

they used?

2 Informal writing often has lots of colloquial language and

missing words,

Still sitting in the airport. = I'm still sitting in the airport.

kind of weird = fairly strange

guy = man

3 Read the tweets and email again.

1 What do 'my buddy', 'I don't get it', 'hanging out together',

'stuff', and 'mega famous' mean in Tyler's tweets?

2 Find colloquial words in Teresa's email and express them

less colloqUially.

3 Find examples in both texts where words are missing.

Which words?

~ Grammar Refere"ce p139

I arrived here last September, it's been getting hotter u: ___ ....I~~~=--.J and hotter. Wish we had air conditioning and not just two rubbish fans. Thank goodness I start work early, 7.00. It's the only cool (no -less hot) time of day in

Tanzania. But hey, I have some cool news. I just bought a bike - well not exactly a bike, a 'piki-piki', It's a kind of little motorbike, Everyone has one. Great for getting

around. Don't freak, Mum! I'm really careful, 'specially on the bumpy road to school.

Last Sunday a group of us (on our piki -pikis of course!) headed up the coast to a

really awesome beach, Pangani Beach. Incredible white sand, covered with fabulous shells. Did I tell you? 'Shelling' is a really popular pastime here. I've already collected

hundreds - some are huge, all shades of pink and orange. I'm going to bring a few home. Anyway, we took a load of picnic stuff and barbecued fish and swam until the

sun went down. The sunsets here are unbelievable - very quick but spectacular. I'm sending you some photos with this email.

So - that's it for now. Missing you millions. Can't wait to see you.

Love, Teri

PS Hey -I think I hear raindrops on the roof.

INFORMAL ENGLISH

1 Write the words which have been left out in these

informal sentences and questions, and indicate with

V where the word should go in the sentence. There

are two words for each line. (Contractions, e.g.

haven’t, count as two words.)

1 V Heard the amazing news? Have you

2 Leaving already? _______

3 Goodbye. See you soon. _______

4 Want a coffee? I’m just making some. _______

5 Nice to meet you. _______

6 Just coming. Hold on! _______

7 Having a break already? It’s only 9.30 a.m.! _______

8 Got any plans for the weekend? _______

9 Going anywhere special tonight? _______

10 Been swimming lately? _______

11 Got to go. _______

2 Replace the words in italics with a more informal

expression from the box. There are two extra

expressions.

buddy can’t make it drop in drop out

hang on hang out hop in how come

just passing take it easy that’s a drag

1 I’m going to spend some time hang out with friends

over the summer.

2 You’ve been working too hard. You should relax

_______ for a while.

3 I’m going backpacking with my friend _______

around India this summer.

4 ‘Can I get a lift with you to the station?’ ‘Sure, get in

the car _______ .’

5 Why is it that _______ you and Jamal aren’t seeing

each other any more?

6 Hi, Sumalee. I was in the area _______ so thought

I’d stop by for a chat.

7 They’re really sorry, but they won’t be able to come

_______ to the party after all.

8 ‘He’s got loads of work to do at the weekend.’ ‘Yes,

how annoying _______ !’

9 ‘Anders! What a surprise!’ ‘Well, I thought I’d just

make an unexpected visit _______ for a quick chat.’

Match the informal language 1–8 with the more

formal language a–h. There is one extra phrase.

1 ___ mega-famous a you might be right

2 ___ hang on b how unfortunate

3 ___ got c bought

4 ___ what a shame d too tired for

5 ___ that’s as maybe e that’s fantastic

6 ___ don’t feel up to f please enter

7 ___ great stuff g extremely well-known

8 ___ come on in h wait a minute

Idioms from People

Reading

Read the story. Then discuss the questions.

The Real McCoy

Our boss Virgil is a very original person. He started a business from nothing, and now he's a

millionaire. Although he is such a man of means, he remains a sincere, helpful person. If any

of his friends needs help, he's the first to give it. He's a true friend, the real McCoy.

He does all sorts of jobs in his company, from typing out his own letters to repairing big

machines. He's a jack of all trades. And he doesn't bother about keeping up with the

Joneses. He doesn't care what people think of his life-style; he doesn't have to have a lot of

expensive things. He still drives the old car that he bought ten years ago, and he sometimes

wears jeans to work.

1. If someone is a man or woman of means, what does the person have a lot of?

2. What can a jack of all trades do?

3. If you want to keep up with the Joneses, what do you do?

Meanings

Each example has an idiom with people or a person's name. Read the example carefully to

find the meaning of the idiom. Then look at the definitions that follow the examples. Write the

idiom next to its definition. Note: You will use the same definition for two idioms.

to go Dutch When I go out to eat with my friends, we usually go Dutch.

This way everyone knows what he or she is spending.

a jack of all trades Louise can fix TVs, paint houses, and build shelves. She's a jack

of all trades.

to keep up with the Joneses Kate and Ken just bought the same car as Mavis and Mick, the

same drapes as Dinah and Dick, the same chihuahua as Antonio

and Antonia. They're really keeping up with the Joneses.

a man/girl Friday Griselda wants to get some work experience, and she

likes to do a lot of different things. So she's gotten a job as a

girl Friday at the local TV studio.

a man/woman of means My cousin has a business that makes a large profit every year.

He's a man of means.

the real McCoy The large diamond in her ring isn't an imitation. It's the real

McCoy.

to run in the family Omar and his sister are both very thin. Being skinny must run

in the family.

a smart aleck Alexandra is such a smart aleck. She always thinks she's right

about everything and always makes you think that you're wrong.

Tom, Dick, or Harry The boss was very careful about whom he hired for the job, and

he interviewed several people. He didn't just hire any Tom, Dick,

or Harry.

a wise guy Don't be such a wise guy and act as if you know it all. Other

people won't like you.

1. a true example of something .............................................................................

2. to want the same nice things that other people have .............................................................................

3. a person who can do many things .............................................................................

4. a rich person .............................................................................

5. to share the cost, to pay one's own bill .............................................................................

6. someone who acts as if he or she knows everything and is often rude about it

.............................................................................

7. nobody special, just any person .............................................................................

8. someone who does a large variety of tasks on the job .............................................................................

9. to be characterized by something common to many members of a family

.............................................................................

Practice

A. Answer each question with yes or no. Explain your answer.

1. When the neighbors bought a Mercedes, Frieda told her husband they had to have one too.

Is Frieda trying to keep up with the Joneses?

2. George always wears the same old pants and shirt, and he drives a broken-down old car.

Does George look like a man of means?

3. Fabian spends a lot of time and money trying to look different from anyone else. Does he

want to look like Tom, Dick, or Harry?

4. Kevin and Mary went out on a date, and Kevin paid for the meal and movie. Did they go

Dutch?

5. Chung is always polite and is willing to listen to other people's opinions in discussions. Is

Chung a wise guy?

B. Each example has the correct idiom, but there is one error with each idiom. Find the

error and correct it.

1. This ring is real McCoy. It's genuine.

2. Bart is broke because he wants to keep up with the Jones.

3. The president of our company is a woman of mean.

4. What we need in this office is a girl on Friday.

5. Be careful with Ben. He's somewhat of wise guy.

6. Being good at math goes in my family.